Semiotics of woman's smell in love discourse

P. 522–533.

Trofimova N., Kiseleva S. V.

The article analyses the semiotics of smells in love discourse. A specific element of this discourse is analyzed: the smell of a woman in the perception of a man in love with her, its symbolism and linguistic representation. Firstly, the authors emphasize that there is no conventionalized “smell vocabulary” in any language. Then three main ways of describing smell are considered: hedonic assessment of smell, naming the smell-reference, and metaphorical transfer of meaning. The choice of these methods and the frequency of their use depends on the individual preferences of the speakers. The empirical part of the paper describes the main thematic areas of the verbal representation of a woman’s smell in love discourse: metaphorical nominations for the aggressive effect of smell on the partner’s physiology, comparison of smell with a light intoxicating drug, synesthesia, representing the smell as a thirst-quenching drink or as a blanket enveloping a woman. A variety of positive-evaluative lexemes are used to describe the smell, which also serves as a means of expressing a woman’s gender identity with an emphasis on the importance of self-presentation. In conclusion, the authors emphasize that smell is a semiotic quantity that creates the necessary framework conditions for communication between lovers. Olfactory dominant, in this case, is the scent of a woman, which acts as a means of seduction and attracting attention, necessary for a woman’s selfexpression.
 

Keywords: metaphor, odoric, synaesthesia, woman’s smell, love discourse, olfactory semiotics

In book

Синергия языков и культур 2021: Междисциплинарные исследования

St. Petersburg: ., 2022.